Brand Guidelines

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITYTRADEMARK LICENSING BRAND GUIDELINES

Out of all of the universities across the nation, Florida State University has one of the most iconic and unique brands. The guidelines included on this page are not all encompassing, but instead serve as a starting point to help understand our brand and ensure consistent use of marks.

PLEASE NOTE: USE OF ANY FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY TRADEMARKS ON MERCHANDISE OR IN RELATION TO GOODS AND SERVICES REQUIRES THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY. THIS APPLIES TO ALL STUDENTS, ALUMNI, STAFF, FACULTY, MANUFACTURERS, RETAILERS, AND CUSTOMERS.

Colors

The primary colors for the institution are garnet and gold, with black and white being the support colors. The use of Florida State’s proper colors is imperative for correct visual identity. For more information about our colors, click here.

Trademarked Verbiage of Florida State University

All of the trademarked verbiage on the style guide are available for commercial use. Please keep the in mind the following guidelines when it comes to use of verbiage:

"Florida" and "State" must be of the same size and prominence

State cannot be abbreviated (ex: Florida St. is not permitted)

Periods are not allowed in “FSU”

There is no “The” before Florida State University

The Primary Mark – Seminole (Marks 1-4)

The Seminole mark is the primary mark of Florida State athletics. This mark should not be changed or altered in any way and its use must adhere to the standards outlined below.

Color

The mark must be reproduced in either two colors or four colors

The face on the mark should always be the lightest element of the mark

The face can never be red or black, or a close variation of those colors

Image

The mark should not be modified, skewed or distorted

Proportions must remain constant

The mark should always face directly to the right; the angle or rotation of the mark should not be changed

No overlaying graphics to the Seminole mark are permitted

Do not fill the mark with a pattern or gradient

The Seminole mark cannot be placed on or in the American flag

The Seminole mark should not be separated by a zipper

Never add other elements or props to the mark (ex: a hat or body)

When cropping this mark, 3/4th of the mark must be visible, with the “FSU” and face being the primary elements left visible

Product Stipulations

There are certain items that the Office of Trademark Licensing may deem as inappropriate to place the Seminole primary mark on. The Office of Trademark Licensing will approve these items on a case-by-case basis. Such items may include doormats/rugs, undergarments, sponges, the bottom of footwear, disposable products, etc.

Spear & Spear Head (Marks 9 – 16)

Colors in the spear head and spear marks cannot be reversed

In most applications, the spear should be positioned to the right, and the spearhead should be positioned to the north-east position

When the application permits, spears will be allowed to point in different directions (example: directional signage)

The spearhead should not be placed to be facing down, the spear can be placed in a downwards motion, when referencing the planting of the spear.

When rotated, the mark should be rotated 180 degrees and should not simply be flipped

The feather must be on the bottom of the spear (should never appear on the top)

The spear can be stretched out to make it longer, however proportions must be consistent

The spear cannot be cut off, or added onto

Helmet Mark (Marks 31 – 32)

Helmet art is primarily intended as retail marks and as decorative art. The primary identifying mark for Florida State Athletics is and should always be the Seminole primary mark.

The spear on the helmet should always be shown in garnet and white.

Baseball/Softball Marks (Marks 25 – 30)

The interlocking FS mark and script “Seminoles” are associated with the baseball and softball teams.

Licensed product featuring graphics that are sport specific should only include these marks if it is specifically a baseball or softball themed design/product.

Athletic Font System (Marks 34 – 37)

Font cannot be altered

There is no lowercase version; do not try to “make” a lowercase version

The font system is not intended for large bodies of copy; use of this font should be limited to no more than one sentence.

The font should always appear as two colors.

School Seal (Marks 40 – 42)

The seal is not to be re-typeset, rearranged, or altered in any way.

The seal must stand alone. No design overlaying, intersecting, or touching is allowed.

Merchandise designs using the University seal may not incorporate any Athletic marks.

Do not use segments or portions of the seal as an artistic element.

Please note: Although the official seal’s torches and Vires, Artes, Mores banner have been used as separate emblems over the years, this use is defined as dismantling of the seal and is no longer permitted. For more information about the seal can be found here.

Cimarron – Youth Mark

Mark is limited to youth and pet items only.

Mark is not permitted on product that references football.

Tribal Pattern

The tribal pattern is reserved for athletic department use only and should not be used by registered student organizations, club sports, academic units, sponsors, etc.

Use of the tribal pattern on products for retail distribution is limited and requires a special license agreement.

The tribal pattern should not be used on products for promotional purposes (giveaways).

Designs that infringe on the pattern, or play-off of the pattern will not be approved.

Elements of the pattern cannot be removed to create their own marks.

Each symbol of the pattern must be complete.

Vintage Marks

The University’s vintage athletic logos and wordmarks are not permitted for internal use, except for special circumstances with permission from Licensing and Athletics Executive Staff.

The University licenses these marks through a restricted program titled "College Vault" in retail channels. This program is restricted to a limited number of licensees who are only permitted to distribute the product into campus and mid-tier retail outlets.

Registration Marks & Indicia Statement

All uses of University trademarks on retail or promotional products will incorporate the appropriate trademark designation symbols, ® or ™, often referred to as registration marks.

When the use of the registration mark (®) and ™ symbols are not practical (extremely high quality product, too small, too big, or used repeatedly, etc.), the statement "The Indicia depicted on this product are trademarks of the Florida State University." may be used in lieu of the registration mark or trademark. The indicia statement may appear on the product itself, the product tag, the product sticker, or on the packaging of the product. Permission is needed from the University prior to use of the Indicia statement.

For internal merchandise ordered by an academic or administrative unit, if the trademark symbol would be so small that it becomes illegible or if it detrimentally interferes with the product design, it may be omitted.

Additionally, the trademark may be omitted on official University business materials (i.g. posters, flyers, letterhead, business cards, websites, brochures, marketing materials, advertisements, etc.) and official varsity team uniforms.